Mandatory Military Service: Help Me Cope
Freshman here. I hate that I have to waste two years of my life going to mandatory military service when I want to recruit for IB straight away. I'm wasting two years of the best part of my life (my twenties) and even though I give up two years of my life, I get no benefits (because every Korean/Singaporean does it) for IB recruiting.
As an Asian American, I get held up to a higher standard (DEI), no connections, and I also have to waste two years of my life, while my other Korean American friends and American friends are having the time of their lives at college. Ofc, I couldn't get KATUSA (basically an easy version of mandatory military service) because it's a fucking lottery system.
I don't understand why freedom is the cornerstone of modern thinking that other nations follow, such as the United States, while our country can't fucking follow this ideal.
I'll probably get bullied in the military because my Korean (although not too bad) is still not perfect and because of my American status.
Once I get back I'll be older than all the other students and analysts if I make it into investment banking. I can't stand being the oldest and "feeling behind."
Note: I understand there are many people here who went through WAY WORSE things and struggles, but I still hate that I will waste two years of my precious twenties that I can't control over because of the chains of Korean citizenship.
Can you guys help me cope? Is the economy terrible right now and will it get better two years later, letting me be able to recruit better?
note: renouncing my citizenship is not an option due to complicated legalities and my owns situation
Bump. I need mental support.
It aint that bad. I did 4 years active duty, dont be a puss and send it
Just two years. It will have many good aspects to it. Make you a better person and leader. Learn to embrace the suck and love the good parts.
Yes, maybe I'll develop as a person.
Bump.
Renounce your citizenship then lol
I can’t due to my complicated situation.
You can always renounce your citizenship and not go to korea until you’re over 35. If you visit korea from time to time and you enjoy what korea has to offer, just know that it’s thanks to, in part, every men who gave up 2 years of their precious twenties
I can’t due to my complicated situation.
Care to explain? Im all ears
Just own it and try to enjoy your military service as much as possible - there will be moments that suck, but go into it with the mindset of collecting stories to talk about during future job interviews.
I know several people in IB and the finance lawyers that we work with who had to do mandatory service. Finland, Singapore, Turkey, Korea, and Taiwan. Once you're finished, you will have the advantage of being 2 years older than the other students you are competing against. Don't discount that. If your peers are 20, and you're 22, that's 10% more experience that you will have at LIFE compared to them.
Your experience will also be more unique than the thousands of students who talk about class projects during their job interviews. For an interview example, tell me about the Korean currency in the ForEx market from the perspective of a soldier during the Korean President's 2024 martial law attempt, and how your lived experience compares to what Wall Street traders were reacting to on TV. Tell me about how you were put in charge of multi-million dollar equipment, etc.
Not trying to be a dick but you’re being kind of a pussy about this. You’ll live if you take 2 years off to serve. If anything it’ll probably teach you a ton about life and give you a leg up on recruiting for finance since you’ll able to talk about leadership experience and discipline. I understand that you want to fully have your 20s and feel like you’ll be left behind but 2 years is absolutely nothing in the span of a lifetime. I promise you a fuck ton of very successful people have done more menial shit than serving for longer than 2 years but still found a path to success and enjoyment from their life.
If this is truly something you can’t get out of then learn to embrace shit that blows. Not everything is going to be ideal for you and work out the way you intend to. There comes to a point where you come to terms with what life is throwing at you and you just power through. If you never learn that you’ll always be angry at the world and be stuck in self loathing. Life isn’t a straight line, it has ups and downs.
I agree, I am absolutely being a pussy. But you must understand that we live in a very cutthroat and competitve society where the economy is terrible and you can get dinged for the slightest mistake. As a result, I developed a mindset of trying to control everything at all costs (and leverage everything I have) so that I can succeed (especially as an asian male). I am extremely risk-averse and afraid of trying new things because I do not want to let go of the steering wheel, which may lead me to crash. The military thing I see as a hindrance that may hinder my path toward IB and my mental state.
Thank you for your perspective though, I agree that its good to approach it as a good learning opportunity and that it hurts to have a victim mindset. I think its good to let go of my controlling mindset.
I hope the economy can improve drastically after I get out of the military, leading to easier recruiting, allowing me to squeeze any more possible benefits.
"Precious twenties" and you want to waste them in IB lol?
Trust me, when you're actually behind a computer for 16 hours a day, you'll be craving doing national service with your fellow citizens. Enjoy it, get the most out of it. Money and IB is not all there is to life.
You can try to lateral to DRPK IB, heard BAML has a coverage team in Pyongyang.
You need to grow a pair and quit whining on an online forum.
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